AMAZING FACT: DEVOTION

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WISE IN OUR OWN EYES

An Amazing Fact: Everyone has a blind spot in their field of vision because of how nerve fibers pass through the retina and out of the eye. The octopus has no blind spot since the nerve fibers pass behind the retinas of their eyes.


The third chapter of Proverbs lists six commands for us to follow. It also gives us reasons for obeying these instructions. The fourth exhortation in our text for this morning starts with, “Do not be wise in your own eyes.” This same directive can be found in several places in Proverbs, most often in reference to fools (Proverbs 12:15; 26:5, 12). What does it mean to be wise in your own eyes?

Those who are wise in their own eyes have a spiritual blind spot. They can be arrogant and have an inflated estimation of their own opinions. Such people are proud, overconfident, and closed to input from others. Solomon’s admonition really builds on what comes before in verse 5—“Trust in the Lord.” In other words, don’t trust in your own wisdom. Acknowledge God in everything you do and He will bless you.

Our text promises health and strength when we seek the Lord’s ways. Saul, the first king of Israel, is a prime example of someone who was wise in his own eyes. His position as leader of God’s people went to his head. He began to believe that his opinions were always right … and woe to anyone who would dare cross him! This is why he tried to
kill David.

When the Lord instructed Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites, the arrogant king did not follow God’s command. When Samuel confronted the king for disobeying, he insisted he had not transgressed the order. Saul thought so much of himself that he became blind to his own sins—and he ultimately fell on his own sword.

The end result of being wise in our own eyes leads us to separate ourselves from God and, therefore, to self-destruction. When we are independent of the Lord, it ends in detachment from the One who gives life. Because of his blind spots, Saul died tragically. We do not need to follow the same path. Humbly heed God’s commands “for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.”

Dear Lord, thank you for your commands. Help me see clearly where I diverge from them. Today I commit to obey your Word and receive the blessings of acknowledging you in all my choices.

Additional reading: Proverbs 3:1–18

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
- Proverbs 3:7-8

 

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Simple Gift, Lasting Value

Did you know that you began smiling long before you were born? With 3D ultrasound technology, researches have witnessed infants in the womb turn their lips upward. Of course, babies keep on smiling after they are born, mostly in their sleep. But even blind babies will grin at the sound of the human voice.

Smiling is more than beaming for a photographer. Some say it can even measure our success and well-being throughout life. Researcher Ron Gutman shares the results of a UC Berkeley research project that examined old yearbook photos in an attempt to determine the success and well-being of students throughout their lives:

“By measuring student smiles, researchers were able to predict how fulfilling and long-lasting a subject's marriage will be, how well she would score on standardized tests of well-being, and how inspiring she would be to others.” [1]

Gutman also relates that a British research study found that one smile “can generate the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 bars of chocolate.” Now there’s a way to save on calories! The same study also showed that smiling can bring the same emotional lift as receiving $25,000.

Even fake smiles can boost your emotions. Most of us can spot a false smile from a mile away. They are given using fewer facial muscles and don’t light up the eyes in the same way. Yet a half-hearted grin will still give you an emotional boost!

Not only does a happy grin lift your mood, it can lower your heart rate. Smiling slows the heart and relaxes the body. Here are some more amazing facts about smiling ...

Smiling can reduce stress, one of the biggest challenges in our modern world.
Smiling can also increase work productivity. There’s something to the saying, “Whistle while you work.”
Relationships are built on smiles. Smiling can also encourage others to trust us more.
Pain can be relieved by smiling.
Grinning can help increase our attention and focus
Smiling is contagious. When we smile at others, nearly half the time it will cause them to smile back.
Solomon understood the value of smiling. He wrote, “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones” (Proverbs 17:22). Many people are suffering from loneliness, depression, broken relationships, and poor health. Think about how much the simple act of bringing a smile to another human being communicates God’s love for them.

So, if in this new year you want to be more attractive, look younger, live longer, boost your immune system, do better in your occupation, and—most of all—bring joy to another person’s day ... smile!

 

[Laela]

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I miss your posts here; hoping all's well with you.

Take care!

 

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An Involuntary Reaction


AN AMAZING FACT: The human brain is responsible for a number of involuntary actions within our bodies, such as breathing and the blinking of our eyes. According to TSA.gov, some airports are even training security officers to recognize involuntary physical and physiological reactions that people exhibit in response to a fear of being discovered.
Have you ever experienced an exciting event that left you full of the anticipation of sharing it with others? Perhaps you made a breakthrough on a difficult project. Or maybe you watched a new milestone in your child’s development, like his or her first steps. When a young daughter makes her mother laugh by trying a new word or skill, the mom always wants to share that moment with her husband. Our natural response is often a desire to share our news with the world. Instinctively, we want to share the joy! It’s an involuntary reaction.

As the followers of Jesus learned of His resurrection and began to develop a deeper understanding of the gospel, they couldn’t resist sharing it with the world either. When Peter and John were called before the Sanhedrin and were reprimanded for sharing the good news, they responded, “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” The knowledge was too great to keep to themselves. It had to be shared!

Today, ponder how the gospel has been meaningful in your life recently. How has God touched your heart? And with whom can you share it?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
- Acts 4:18-20

 

[blazingthru]

The Children of God



The lengths some adults go to neglect or abuse innocent children is sickening. Can you imagine strapping explosives on a seven-year-old girl and turning her into a suicide bomber? What does the Bible say to people who hurt these little ones?

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan admits that his country has underestimated the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram. This past week in a market in the city of Potiskum in northeastern Nigeria, a girl believed to be as young as seven tried four times to bypass security when explosives she was carrying detonated. Six people killed; 19 wounded. This was the second suicide bombing in the city. On January 11, two suicide bombers—one who appeared to be about 15-years-old—blew themselves up in the same market, killing six people and injuring 37 others.

In another tragic incident, a stepmother from outside Houston was charged this last week with felony injury to a child by starving her five-year-old stepson, keeping him in a closet in their home until he weighed only 29 pounds. Jordan was removed from the home when a 16-year-old sibling spoke out. The boy was immediately taken to pediatric care to regain his health and now lives with his aunt. Jordan’s biological mother said he was fed only a piece of bread and a cup of water each day. The stepmother could be punished by life in prison.

God has a deep heart for innocent children and strong statements toward those who hurt the little ones of our world. The Lord repeatedly warned the Israelites, “You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry” (Exodus 22:22, 23).

The marginalized and innocent are on God’s radar. “He will save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor” (Psalm 72:4). Jesus was aware of the children when mothers came to have Him bless them. He admonished His disciples, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).

But the strongest rebuke came when Christ instructed His disciples to be more like children in faith. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). This was not a small stone, but rather a large stone that could only be turned by a donkey.

Increasing, unfathomable violence toward children is a dramatic sign that the world buckles under thousands of years of sin and degradation of human life. God holds us accountable; children are not expendable. God looks with tender regard toward them. Jesus said, “Whoever receives [a] little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great” (Luke 9:48).

Let us pray that the Lord returns soon so that the suffering of the innocents will end forever.

Editor's Note: While all "young earth creationists" believe the earth to be only thousands of years old, as opposed to millions, the exact number of years, from 6,000 to 10,000 years, is still under debate by many Bible-believing scholars and scientists. This story originally used the figure 10,000 as a general number to encompass all these differing views, but has since been changed to "thousand of years."

 

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Who Is the Strongest?


AN AMAZING FACT: If asked what the world’s strongest animal might be, you would probably imagine a large animal like an elephant or whale. Surprisingly, the title actually goes to the Onthophagus Taurus dung beetle. This little creature can pull 1,140 times its own body weight!
A recent study from Queen Mary University of London reveals that the dung beetle uses its great strength to battle other male beetles during mating season. Imagine pulling 100 tons of weight—an impossible feat for any human. Yet a dung beetle can do the equivalent.

The strength of God’s creatures might cause us to pause in wonder, but the power of our Creator is even greater. The psalmist praised, “Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength! We will sing and praise Your power.” David recognized with awe the strength of our God as something to be praised. In the world around him and the events of his life, he could see God’s might at work.

The same God who created an astonishingly strong insect has the strength to orchestrate the powers that control our world, yet at the same time He knows and cares about the small details of our lives. The trials on your heart are close to His heart too, and His strength is always ready to carry us through each day. Like David, many of us face difficult trials; it can be easy to let fear overwhelm us. But if we pause to step back and recognize that our lives are not in our hands, we can rest easy. Our lives are in the hands of an incredibly strong and caring Creator.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.
- Psalms 21:13

 

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Attending His Own Funeral

An Amazing Fact: After his sister died in 1951, James Nelson Gernhart was outraged because relatives wanted to bury her with a low-budget funeral. At 75 and alone, “Old Jim,” as he was known, wanted to make sure this didn’t happen to him. He resolved that everybody in tiny Burlington, Colorado (population 2,200), would know that he was going out with more dignity. He would have his funeral before he died!


Some townsfolk didn’t think Old Jim should have his funeral when he wasn’t even dead. They refused to let him use the community center. Then the singers Jim had scheduled backed out. Undaunted, Old Jim rented the town armory and substituted records of his favorite hymns. In the next town he hired a pastor to officiate. Then he plunked down
$3,600 of his savings for a solid copper casket—a lot of money back then. Using newspaper ads, Old Jim invited everyone in town to his funeral.

In spite of the objections, nearly half the town filed into the dimly lit room, sat solemnly down on folding chairs, and watched as a hearse rolled up to the door. Eighteen honorary pallbearers formed a double line while eight old friends carried in the casket. With a sad expression on his weather-beaten face, Old Jim walked behind the casket, hat in
hand. The preacher began his text: “He that believeth in me though he be dead yet shall he live.” Old Jim beamed, and tears gathered in his eyes when the recorded strains of “Beautiful Isle of Somewhere” floated out over the armory. The service continued for the next 55 minutes. Finally, the piano played “Rock of Ages.” Old Jim wrote out a $100 check for the minister and marched cheerfully out. “Now I don’t care what they do with me when I die,” he said. “I’ve got myself fixed up real good.”

I know this may sound odd, but did you know the Bible recommends you conduct your own funeral? To break free of the slavery to sin, our old self must be crucified, and the “body of sin” must be “done away with.” In this way, the Bible says, “ … reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11).

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
- Romans 6:6

For he that is dead is freed from sin.
- Romans 6:7

 

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An End to Affliction

An Amazing Fact: Erik Weihenmeyer became the first blind man to climb to the highest peak in the world. He and his sighted friend, Eric Alexander, along with other members of their climbing team, reached the summit of Mount Everest on May 25, 2001. Mark Inglis, who lost both of his legs below the knee, conquered Everest in 2006. He is the first person to successfully scale the mountain with two false legs.


Since almost 20 percent of Americans are disabled in some way, chances are you have a friend or family member with a disability of some kind, or perhaps you are disabled yourself. Perhaps you have an illness or have had an accident that causes suffering. The Bible assures us that when an afflicted person cries out to God, He hears. And He cares.

When God healed the crippled man in Lystra, through Paul, the Bible says the man “leaped and walked.” Can’t you just see him jumping high into the air, again and again, landing on his new, healthy feet? Don’t you think he was laughing in delight?

This is what it will be like when Jesus returns. For those who belong to Him, all disabilities, deformities, diseases—afflictions of any kind—will vanish in that glorious instant. Freed from the effects of sin, we will be completely healthy, happy, and restored to the likeness of God. It’s what He has always wanted for us. As we praise Him, we will almost certainly leap for joy!

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
- Acts 14:8-10

 

[blazingthru]

All Other Ground
Average reading time is about 1 and a half minutes
AN AMAZING FACT: The University of Nebraska at Omaha Library is sinking.
Legend has it that the Indiana University Library sinks an inch per year because its engineers failed to account for the weight of its books. But this legend is older than the IU library itself—built in 1969—and has also been falsely attributed to several other libraries, including the University of Waterloo Library, Calgary’s McKimmie Library, and the University of Nottingham’s Jubilee Library.

However, the University of Nebraska at Omaha Library is actually sinking. In the mid-1980s, cracks developed in the library’s first floor—but not because its books were too heavy. Rather, engineers discovered cracks in the air ducts running under the floor slab. The cracks allowed warm air to circulate, drying and shrinking the soil and creating voids under the slab.

But five feet below the Indiana University library, explains Robert Meadows, an IU architect, “is a 94-foot-thick layer of limestone. When the library was constructed, the upper layer of this rock was harder than expected. Rather than blast, we raised the lowest level of the building a number of feet.”

Jesus compares His followers to the one who built upon a rock. Despite rain, floods, and wind, the wise man’s house stood strong. On the other hand, those who do not heed Christ’s words are like he who built on the sand: When rain and floods beat down on this man’s house, “Great was its fall,” Jesus said.

The old hymn declares, “On Christ, the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” Hear and do what Jesus says; build your life on the Foundation that won’t fail!
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
- Matthew 7:24

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
- Matthew 7:25

 

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Bananas
May 24, 2016

John 15:5). I wonder what types of fruit will be on the tree of life in heaven.

AN AMAZING FACT: Bananas are a fruity miracle. They are colorful, nutritious, not to mention the amusing shape is easy to hold, peel, and eat. Bananas also contain three natural sugars—sucrose, fructose, and glucose—combined with a healthy dose of fiber. When a hungry person eats a banana they receive an almost instant and sustained boost of vigor. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. This is why bananas are the favorite fruit of Olympic athletes. In fact, compared to an apple, a banana has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of most affordable fruits around. So maybe it's time to change that well-known proverb to "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"


Studies have shown that bananas can also help overcome or prevent a substantial array of illnesses and conditions ranging from depression, heartburn, and anemia, to stroke and morning sickness. Around the world different parts of the banana plant are used for clothing, paper, and tableware, and the skin of the banana is used to heal everything from insect bites to warts. Indeed, the banana appears almost perfectly designed for human consumption and distribution. It is difficult to conceive of a more practical blueprint for the ideal fruit.

Have you noticed the banana has no seeds? Amazingly the banana is a mutant; it is the result of the cross pollination of two almost inedible Asian fruits. The banana is a freakish genetic amalgamation; one that has survived through the centuries due to the sustained intervention of diligent humans. These fragile fruits can only be cloned from suckering
shoots and cuttings taken from the underground stem of existing plants. Over time, Arab traders carried the new wonder fruit to Africa, and Spanish conquistadors brought them to the Americas.

So if you have ever pictured Adam and Eve savoring bananas in the Garden of Eden you better think again. Bananas only happen through man participating with God’s creation. This is also true regarding the fruit of the Spirit. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). I wonder what types of fruit will be on the tree of life in heaven.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:2

 

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Diamonds


An Amazing Fact: Diamonds are the hardest natural material known to mankind. Their hardness has been legendary since antiquity and is the reason for its name coming from the ancient Greek word adamas for “invincible.” Approximately 130 million carats are mined annually, with a value of nearly $9 billion. About 220,000 pounds of manmade diamonds are synthesized every year. Diamond formation requires exposure of carbon materials to very high pressure. Diamonds can also form in other natural events. For example, very small diamonds, known as microdiamonds, have been found in craters caused by a meteorite impact.


The biggest earthly diamond is the 530-carat Star of Africa, one of the British crown jewels. That was, at least until August 28, 2007, when a diamond mine in South Africa announced it found a diamond believed to be twice the size of the former record holder. The uncut diamond is expected to sell for up to $30 million. But it still may not be the biggest.
Some astronomers believe they have actually found the biggest known diamond in the universe up in the sky directly above Australia. According to American astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, a white dwarf star in the constellation of Centaurus, next to the Southern Cross, has been found to have a 2,000-mile-wide solid core of crystallized carbon, or in other words, a diamond. It weighs 2.27 thousand trillion trillion tons—that’s 10 billion trillion trillion carats, or a one followed by 34 zeroes. “It’s the mother of all diamonds,” said astronomer Travis Metcalfe, who led the team of researchers that studied the star.

God loves jewels and will decorate the New Jerusalem with many precious stones that surpass anything we’ve ever seen on Earth. When we think of the Lord’s creation in the heavens, it doesn’t seem impossible that every gate in the city of God is highly unique. “The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass” (Revelation 21:21). I look forward to walking on that street someday.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. Zechariah 9:16

 

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Amazing Bamboo

May 30, 2016​

AN AMAZING FACT: Did you know a member of the grass family is considered to be the fastest-growing plant in the world? It is a member of the true grass family known as Poaceae (po-se-i), also known as Bambuseae. Better known as bamboo, these tall stalks are actually the largest members of the grass family. In the warmer climates of Asia they are capable of growing as much as 39 inches per day! How would you like to keep that grass mowed? Bamboo grows so fast that, if you stand in one of these bamboo forests on a sunny day, you can actually hear the plants growing. Some plants grow 98 feet tall.


Bamboo has economic and cultural significance to South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. There are around 1,500 different species of bamboo in the world that come in several different colors—such as black, green, gold, gray, red, yellow, and powder blue. The bamboo plant is also extremely versatile with an extraordinary range of uses, and can be made into many things like baskets, bicycle frames, bird cages, blinds, boats, bridges, brushes, buckets, canoes, carts, charcoal, chopsticks, clothing, cooking utensils, diapers, fans, fences, firewood, fishing rods, food steamers, furniture, garden tools, handicrafts, hats, incense, musical instruments, paper, particle board, pens, pipes, roofing, scaffold, tableware, toilets, toothpicks, toys, umbrellas, and walking sticks! In fact, during WWII in the South Pacific, the U.S. Navy even used bamboo to reinforce concrete. That is pretty incredible when you remember that bamboo is just gigantic grass.

When the apostle Peter compared mankind with the Bible, he used grass as an illustration. “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:24, 25). The glory of man’s accomplishments fades into insignificance when compared with God’s glory. Our corruptible works will someday disappear, but the incorruptible fruit of God’s Word will grow and last for eternity. That’s a lot longer than the lifetime of bamboo.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 1 Peter 1:24

 

[blazingthru]

When You Are Growing
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18.
It is the privilege of the young, as they grow in Jesus, to grow in spiritual grace and knowledge. We may know more and more of Jesus through an interested searching of the Scriptures and then following the ways of truth and righteousness therein revealed. Those who are ever growing in grace will be steadfast in the faith, and moving forward. There should be an earnest desire in the heart of every youth who has purposed to be a disciple of Jesus Christ to reach the highest Christian standard, to be a worker with Christ. If he makes it his aim to be of that number who shall be presented faultless before the throne of God he will be continually advancing. The only way to remain steadfast is to progress daily in divine life. Faith will increase if, when brought in conflict with doubts and obstacles, it overcomes them.... If you are growing in grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ you will improve every privilege and opportunity to gain more knowledge of the life and character of Christ.
Faith in Jesus will grow as you become better acquainted with your Redeemer by dwelling upon His spotless life and His infinite love.... When you are growing in grace you will love to attend religious meetings, and you will gladly bear testimony of the love of Christ before the congregation. God, by His grace, can make the young man prudent, and He can give to the children knowledge and experience. They can grow in grace daily.... Set your aim in life high, as did Joseph and Daniel and Moses, and take into consideration the cost of the character building, and then build for time and for eternity.... In doing this work for yourself you are having an influence on many others.... How much strength a word of hope, courage, and determination in a right course will give one who is inclined to slide into habits that are demoralizing! The firm purpose you may possess in carrying out good principles will have an influence to balance souls in the right direction. There is no limit to the good you may do

 

[blazingthru]

A Shooting Star

An Amazing Fact: Phoebe Ann Moses was born August 13, 1860, in a log cabin on the Ohio frontier. Because of poverty and hardship, eight-year-old Phoebe began helping support her widowed mother and seven siblings by hunting. She soon discovered that she was a marvelous shot. By age 15 she had sold enough game to pay off the mortgage on her mother’s farm and was enough of a local celebrity that she was invited to Cincinnati to enter a shooting contest with a traveling show marksman. Not only did she win the match with Frank Butler by one point, but she also won his heart and they married a year later.


For several years the Butlers performed together—and Phoebe adopted the stage name “Annie Oakley.” In 1885 the couple joined the legendary Buffalo Bill in his Wild West Show. For the next 17 years, Annie Oakley was the show’s star attraction with her marvelous shooting feats. Barely 5 feet tall, she was billed as “Little Sure Shot.” In a single day, she used a .22 caliber rifle to shoot 4,472 of 5,000 small glass balls tossed in midair. With the razor thin edge of a playing card facing her at 90 feet, Annie could cut the card with one bullet and then puncture it with five or six more shots before it hit the ground. Her sharp shooting won her many awards and captivated audiences worldwide, including several heads of state in Europe. She even knocked the ashes off a cigarette held by the German Kaiser Wilhelm II!

Annie Oakley was the first American female superstar, and she remained a remarkable shot into her sixties. Even after a train accident that caused temporary paralysis and five spinal operations, and a car accident that left her wearing a steel leg brace for over a year, Annie was still setting records. Today, her name remains synonymous with precision
marksmanship.

Friends, the Bible teaches that true prophets will also have consistent accuracy in their predictions. John warns us that we must test those claiming to be God’s prophets—and one important test is whether or not their predictions come true! “As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent” (Jeremiah 28:9)

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

 

[blazingthru]

Parental Responsibility

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18:10

The Saviour regards with infinite tenderness the souls whom He has purchased with His blood. They are the claim of His love. He looks upon them with unutterable longing. His heart is drawn out, not only to the best-trained and most attractive children, but to those who by inheritance and through neglect have objectionable traits of character. Many parents do not understand how much they are responsible for these traits in their children. They have not the tenderness and wisdom to deal with the erring ones whom they have made what they are. But Jesus looks upon these children with pity. He traces from cause to effect.

The Christian worker may be Christ's agent in drawing these faulty and erring ones to the Saviour. By wisdom and tact he may bind them to his heart, he may give courage and hope, and through the grace of Christ may see them transformed in character, so that of them it may be said, "Of such is the kingdom of God."

 

[Laela]

^^^ That is powerful..

 

[blazingthru]

Nobel Peace Prize​

Jun 07, 2016

AN AMAZING FACT: Most of us have heard of the Nobel Peace Prize, but do you know the strange details that led to the forming of this prestigious award? Alfred Nobel was born in 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. After receiving a first-class education in Russia the family returned to Sweden, where he and his brothers worked as chemical engineers.


Alfred Nobel did not invent nitroglycerin but was first to produce it commercially. In 1863 he developed a detonator for nitroglycerin using a strong shock rather than heat. But nitroglycerin in its fluid state is very volatile. Several explosions in his laboratory proved this, including one in 1864 in which his brother Emil and several others were killed. Recognizing this danger, Nobel moved his experimentation to a barge anchored on a lake outside Stockholm.

After much experimenting he eventually invented dynamite, also known as “Nobel’s Safety Powder.” This new material was made from a combination of nitroglycerin absorbed by a porous clay substance and was five times as powerful as gunpowder. This provided an easily handled, solid yet malleable explosive. Mining, railroad building, and other construction became much safer, more efficient, and cheaper. But military leaders also realized the value of dynamite for demolition and destruction. This deadly use of his creation greatly troubled the “Lord of Dynamite,” who was a pacifist and strongly opposed the wartime uses of his inventions.

In 1895 a newspaper confused the death of Nobel’s older brother with Alfred, and published Alfred Nobel’s obituary before he had actually died. Nobel was horrified to read that he was remembered as the man who created the explosives that caused so much death and carnage. Perhaps to alleviate his conscience, and to improve his legacy, upon his death his will provided that the bulk of his vast fortune go to a fund that would award prizes annually for advancements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. Alfred was also a great entrepreneur. Over the years he founded 90 factories and laboratories in more than 20 countries, and he held 355 patents.

Few people read their obituary before their death, and fewer still get a chance to change their reputation. But because of the matchless gift and sacrifice of Jesus we can have a new name.


KEY BIBLE TEXTS
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. Revelation 2:17

 

[gn1g]

Awesome thread!! good job blazingthru.

 

[blazingthru]

One Cup of Water​

An Amazing Fact: Kofi Annan, the former United Nations Secretary-General, was the founder of the Global AIDS and Health Fund to support developing countries in their struggle to care for hurting people. He was born on April 8, 1938, and currently serves as a Ghanaian diplomat. In his effort to raise global awareness on how people live in the world, he has presented incredible statistics from the United Nations Human Development Report.


These numbers really put into perspective how we live in America!

• Four percent of the 225 richest men’s wealth could provide for the entire globe: basic education, basic health care, adequate food, clean water, and safe sewers.

• Americans spend $8 billion a year on cosmetics—$2 billion more than the estimated total needed to provide basic education for everyone in the world.

• Americans each consume an average of 260 pounds of meat a year. In Bangladesh, the average is 6.5 pounds.

• The world’s 225 richest individuals, of whom 60 are Americans, have a combined wealth of over $1 trillion—equal to the annual income of the poorest 47 percent of the entire world’s population.

• Europeans spend $11 billion a year on ice cream—$2 billion more than the estimated annual total needed to provide clean water and safe sewers for the world’s population.

• The three richest people in the world have assets that exceed the combined gross domestic product of the 48 least-developed countries.

• The richest fifth of the world’s people consumes 86 percent of all goods and services, while the poorest fifth consumes just 1.3 percent. Indeed, the richest fifth consumes 45 percent of all meat and fish, 58 percent of all energy used, 84 percent of all paper, has 74 percent of all telephone lines, and owns 87 percent of all vehicles.

Annan encourages us to not look at faceless statistics, but think of the condition of how many people in our world truly live. When we consider the world’s consumption bill of $24 trillion a year, the numbers seem overwhelming. Yet, in God’s eyes, even a cup of cold water given to a thirsty child is not beneath His notice.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. Mark 9:41

 

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Fearless Rescuers​

An Amazing Fact: Ida Lewis was the daughter of a lighthouse keeper in Newport, Rhode Island. When her father, Captain Hosea Lewis, suffered a paralyzing stroke, Ida and her mother assumed all the responsibilities of the Lime Rock Lighthouse. Ida was unafraid of the water and became known as the best swimmer in Newport. Besides tending the light, she rowed her younger brothers and sisters 200 yards from the small rock island to school and back each day. She was frequently seen rowing about the vast bay on errands in all kinds of weather.


Ida’s rowing skills, strength, and courage came into play many times during her life. She conducted her first rescue when she was 16. With her station lifeboat, she rowed out and saved four young men unable to swim, who nearly drowned when their sailboat capsized. The boys were ashamed to be rescued by a slight young girl. In 1866, when she was 24, she rescued a drunken soldier in a disabled boat, towing him to shore. In 1867 she saved three workers from a swamped boat; they had gone after their employer’s prize sheep that had jumped into the harbor. After rescuing the men, Ida returned to save the sheep.

On March 12, 1869, she performed her most famous rescue. During a blizzard, Ida was sick with a terrible cold when her mother saw a boat overturn in the freezing waves. Ida ran out into the churning icy water in her stocking feet and rowed a boat out to save them. She rescued three soldiers; a young boy drowned. This brave feat placed her on the cover of Harper’s Magazine, and she became a national heroine.

Ida received fan mail from the rich and famous; even President Ulysses S. Grant visited her. She also received some marriage proposals. New York gave her a mahogany rowboat with red velvet cushions, gold braid around the gunwales, and gold-plated oarlocks. The boat was named “The Rescue.” Over the 50 years Ida tended the lighthouse, this small woman rescued at least eighteen persons from the cold and often treacherous waters off Lime Rock. Unofficially, the number was much higher. When she died in 1911, every ship bell in Newport tolled all night.

You know, the Bible says Jesus crossed a stormy sea to rescue a boat in distress. Our Keeper is always willing to come to our rescue when we call to Him for help.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. Matthew 14:25

 

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AF Daily Devotional - A Modern Jonah

A Modern Jonah​

An Amazing Fact: In 1891, a whaling ship off the Falkland Islands spotted a huge 80-foot sperm whale. Two longboats were quickly launched to hunt the monster. Closing in, the crew harpooned the whale, which quickly dove down away from the boat. Suddenly, the whale resurfaced right under the first longboat, breaking it and throwing its men into the air. As the whale disappeared again, the remaining longboat rescued the survivors—but two men were missing and presumed drowned.


Soon, the dead whale floated to the surface, and the crewmen began their grisly job, removing its blubber. By midnight the task was still unfinished, and the sailors went to bed. In the morning, as they resumed their work, the unexpected happened: something in the stomach was moving spasmodically. Thinking it might be a giant squid, they cut the
stomach open. Inside was one of the missing sailors, James Bartley, doubled up and unconscious.

As Bartley recovered over the next few weeks, he recalled being hit by the whale’s tail and then encompassed by great darkness. He felt he was slipping along a smooth passage that seemed to carry him forward. His hands touched a slimy substance, which seemed to shrink from his touch. He could breathe the stifling air, but the heat was terrible. The next thing he remembered, he was waking up in the captain’s cabin. Except for the fact that his face, neck, and hands had been bleached white, Bartley survived the belly of a whale! Understandably, Bartley left whaling and spent his remaining years working as a cobbler. When he was buried, his tombstone featured these words: “James Bartley—1870-1909…A modern Jonah.”

When people in Jesus’ day asked for a sign, He said the “sign of Jonah” was the only sign that would be given. When Jonah preached in Nineveh, his “back to life” experience with the whale likely gave credence to his message. Similarly, Jesus’ resurrection is evidence of His divinity. But sadly, for many the sign of Jonah isn’t enough—not only do they disbelieve the Jonah account, but they deny the resurrection as well. We’re left with a choice: we can join the “evil generation” in disbelief, or the Ninevites in believing and repenting. Is the sign of Jonah enough for you?

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. Luke 11:29

 

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Big Givers​

An Amazing Fact: What do Herb Alpert, Mel Gibson, and Jami Gertz have in common, besides being famous celebrities? According to “The Giving Back Fund,” a non-profit organization that tracks philanthropic giving worldwide, Jami Gertz and her husband, Anthony Ressler, topped the list by giving $10,569,002 to the Ressler-Gertz Foundation. Herb Alpert donated $9.1 million to the Herb Alpert Foundation, which focuses on the arts, compassion, and well being. And Mel Gibson signed a check for $6.8 million to help a foundation support the Holy Family Church.


Of course, most celebrities want their names associated with good causes. It’s great PR. The more good they do for others, the more the public will appreciate them. Many accuse celebrities of promoting themselves this way, but it’s also true that charities use celebrities to promote their work as well. So is this a virtuous cycle or a vicious cycle?
After Christopher Reeve became paralyzed, his collaboration with the American Paralysis Association caused its revenue in the next three years double to $5 million. In fact, they changed their association’s name to the Christopher Reeve Foundation.

Some of the others who made the top 30 list of celebrities contributing to non-profit organizations also include George Lucas (director, producer, writer), Nora Roberts (writer), Ndamukong Suh (NFL player), Lance Berkman and his wife, Cara (MLB player), Meryl Streep and her husband Donald Gummer (actress), and Jerry Seinfeld (comedian). Not all donations are what you might consider worthy causes. Hugh Hefner made the list for donating $900,000 to a trust for public land to save the iconic Hollywood sign from being plowed under in order to make room for four luxury homes!

Jesus said, “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matthew 6:3, 4). The purpose of giving big gifts is not to lift up ourselves, but to touch people’s lives. Someday, God will publish a philanthropic list of people who gave much. That’s the list I want to make!

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 6:1

Matthew 6:1New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Giving to the Poor and Prayer
6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

 

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Sam Houston Junior's Bible​

An Amazing Fact: Sam Houston was a colorful and bold 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. The seventh governor of Texas, he is known best for helping bring Texas into the United States. Though married three times, his third wife, Margaret Moffette Lea of Alabama, gave birth to eight children, the first of whom was Sam Houston Jr.


Sam Houston Jr. was born in 1843. He began service in the confederacy in 1861. On April 7, 1862, at the famous Civil War battle of Shiloh, Sam Houston Jr., son of the famous Texan, was struck in the back by a bullet. He was knocked to the ground and would likely have died had it not been for his mother’s Bible, which he carried in his knapsack. Ripping through the pages, the lead ball stopped directly over the 70th Psalm, which reads, “You are my help and my deliverer” (verse 5).

After the war Sam studied in Independence and then went to medical school in Pennsylvania and became a doctor. But he later gave up his practice for writing. He married Lucy Anderson, and the couple had three children. Years later, after his wife died, Sam became discouraged and went to live with his sister Margaret. After eight years he passed away at the age of 51.

Sam Houston Jr. was literally saved by the Word of God. The Bible he carried actually stopped a bullet. Did you know we are being attacked by an enemy who wants to cut us down? The weapons he uses are not your typical guns and knives. The spiritual warfare of Satan is subtle and meant to destroy us forever. But the Lord has provided armor that we may put on and stand safe.

“Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:10-13). When the “fiery darts” of the devil come shooting your way, hold up the “shield of faith” (verse 16) and extinguish them for good!

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. Psalms 119:114

 

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Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness." The sense of unworthiness will lead the heart to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and this desire will not be disappointed. Those who make room in their hearts for Jesus will realize His love. All who long to bear the likeness of the character of God shall be satisfied. The Holy Spirit never leaves unassisted the soul who is looking unto Jesus. He takes of the things of Christ and shows them unto him. If the eye is kept fixed on Christ, the work of the Spirit ceases not until the soul is conformed to His image. The pure element of love will expand the soul, giving it a capacity for higher attainments, for increased knowledge of heavenly things, so that it will not rest short of the fullness. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled."

The merciful shall find mercy, and the pure in heart shall see God. Every impure thought defiles the soul, impairs the moral sense, and tends to obliterate the impressions of the Holy Spirit. It dims the spiritual vision, so that men cannot behold God. The Lord may and does forgive the repenting sinner; but though forgiven, the soul is marred. All impurity of speech or of thought must be shunned by him who would have clear discernment of spiritual truth.

But the words of Christ cover more than freedom from sensual impurity, more than freedom from that ceremonial defilement which the Jews so rigorously shunned. Selfishness prevents us from beholding God. The self-seeking spirit judges of God as altogether such a one as itself. Until we have renounced this, we cannot understand Him who is love. Only the unselfish heart, the humble and trustful spirit, shall see God as "merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." Ex. 34:6.

 

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Sam Houston Junior's Bible


AN AMAZING FACT: David Douglas was only 26 years old in 1825 when he sailed along the west coast of the United States and up the Columbia River. The young botanist from London was on a quest. Since a boy he had been obsessed with plants, and by the age of 21 he was appointed to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Scotland. Now, five years later, he was to examine the plant life of the New World.


As the ship approached land, one particular tree captivated David. As he reported later, “So pleased was I that I could scarcely see anything but it.” He couldn’t wait to see the tree up close, and when he did, he pronounced it “one of the most striking and truly graceful objects in nature.” It was only fitting that this famous tree would later bear his name, as it does to this day—the Douglas fir.

David spent the next two years exploring the Northwest, finding new plants and shipping over 200 species back to England. His collecting adventures took him 12,000 miles on foot, horseback, and canoe. William Hooker, one of the world’s leading botanists, described him as a man of “great activity, undaunted courage … and energetic zeal.” The Native Americans were immensely impressed with David’s endurance, but they questioned his sanity. They called him “Man of Grass” because he would hike from first dawn to dusk collecting plants that he couldn’t even eat.

On his 1829 trip to North America, David Douglas made a discovery that eventually changed the history of the New World. While collecting plants in California, he pulled a plant from the ground that contained many flecks of gold in the soil clinging to the roots. But as David packed the plant for shipment he saw only the plant. That’s how gold was first
discovered in California in 1831—not by loggers in Sutter Creek, but by the botanists in London who unpacked the shipment of plants from Douglas and saw the gold on the roots.

David Douglas had only one purpose in life. Nothing—not even gold—could distract him from his mission. That is the sort of focused and energetic zeal that God wants from us today!

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. Ecclesiastes 9:10

 

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The Godfather of Fitness​

An Amazing Fact: As a child and teenager, Jack experienced very poor health. Addicted to sugar and junk food, his volatile moods would frequently swing between suicide and homicide. The murderous behavior was usually directed towards his older brother, who he once nearly killed with an ax, and another time with a big butcher knife. Jack described himself as short and skinny with pimples. He was constantly bullied by the other kids at school.


When he was 15, Jack’s mother, a Bible Christian, insisted he come with her to hear a nutritionist, Paul Bragg, speak on diet, health, and exercise. At the conclusion of his talk Mr. Bragg did backflips across the platform to punctuate his lecture. It was a life-changing experience. Jack instantly gave up junk food and began to focus on altering his diet and
exercise habits. The transformation was so complete by the time Jack graduated high school he was offered several sports scholarships. Jack passed up a future in sports, instead dedicating the next 80 years to teaching others how to care for their bodies.

Thousands today speak of Jack LaLanne as “The Godfather of Fitness.” Jack LaLanne firmly supported a vegetarian diet and blamed overly processed foods for many health problems. LaLanne always practiced what he preached, working out two hours a day. To promote healthful living in 1984, he fought strong winds and currents as he swam
1.5 miles while towing 70 boats with 70 people across the Long Beach Harbor. And he did this when he was 70 years old and while handcuffed and shackled! Jack’s motto was “Be happy you are alive! Get up in the morning and say, ‘Thank God I’m here again.’”

Some people think the Bible is just a spiritual book, but you would be surprised to see how much it says about practical health. David wrote, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalms 139:14). With proper self-discipline and maintenance these biological temples can provide 80-plus years of service, but if we neglect proper care of our bodies, happiness will elude us.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalms 139:14

 

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Terror in Florida
June 13, 2016

On June 12, 2016, a 29-year-old man entered the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and began shooting randomly at the unsuspecting patrons inside. After taking many of them hostage and engaging police in gunfire, the gunman was finally killed. In all, 49 people were murdered and 53 were injured in what many are calling a terrorist attack.

It is the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history and the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001.

Amazing Facts is shocked and saddened by this brutal act of violence and offers our condolences to the grief-stricken families of the victims. The appalling violence of this evil attack grieves the heart of God, was perpetrated by the devil, and is a sobering indicator of the deterioration of our planet.

Let us remember that the father of hatred and murder is not God. Rather, in giving His Son to die for us, we see God's infinite compassion and grace—through a Savior who was willing to die so that we might live eternally.

In the aftermath of this tragedy, it can be difficult to believe that there is a Father in heaven who mourns with us. But the Lord is not silent. He is not apathetically sitting back—instead, He is working to save all who desire to live in His kingdom of peace. We can be certain there will be a judgment day and an end to violence and death. “He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces”
Isaiah 25:8).

Are you asking, "Why does God allow evil?" Our Study Guide, entitled Did God Create the Devil?, will help you better understand our loving God, this tragic event, and how we can be sure evil like this will someday end. Please share it with as many as you can.

 

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Biltmore Estate

An Amazing Fact: In 1888, George Washington Vanderbilt, 26 years old at the time, visited the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina with his mother. He loved the scenery and climate so much that he decided to build a summer house in the area. However, this would be no ordinary summer house. George’s idea was to replicate the working estates of Europe.


His “summer house,” completed in 1895, contained 250 rooms and was 175,000 square feet. The dining room table alone could seat 64 guests. Intending that the estate be self-supporting, George set up forestry programs, poultry farms, cattle farms, hog farms, and a dairy. The estate included its own village and even a church.

In 1898, while in Paris, George married a young lady by the name of Edith. In 1912, he and Edith booked passage on the Titanic but canceled due to a premonition of Edith’s mother. It was too late, however, for them to get their servant and baggage off the ship; both were lost when the Titanic sank.

George spent more than his annual income for the upkeep of his colossal house, and began to deplete his once-enormous inheritance. Some of the rooms of this house were never fully completed. After his unexpected death in 1912, George’s widow, Edith, sold much of the land around the estate to the United States Forest Service at $5 an acre until only 12,500 acres were left from the original 125,000. In 1963, the estate was designated a National Historic Landmark, and today it is still the largest home in the United States.

Friends, how would you like to live in a mansion? Jesus is preparing the best of living conditions for those who love Him—greater than any home ever built on this earth. We can’t even begin to imagine how beautiful it will be. Best of all, we will be with our Lord, never to be separated. Are you ready? He has a mansion for you.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3

 

[Laela]

Didn't know this about Biltmore, a place I'd love to visit... I enjoy this thread

 

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Strength Through Trial

For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Psalms 66:10

Untried character is not reliable. We are to be tried by temptation in order that we may learn to seek wisdom from God and to flee to the stronghold in time of trouble. He alone will be successful in resisting temptation who finds help and grace from God. Individually we stand as did our first parents--face to face with manifold temptations that solicit mind and heart. All heaven is watching with intense interest to see whether we will look unto Jesus and submit ourselves to His will, or whether in the temptation we shall follow the inclinations of the natural heart and the solicitations of the evil one.

Let those who are perplexed with temptation go to God in prayer. . . . Persevere in prayer and watch thereunto without doubting, and the Holy Spirit will work in the human agent, bringing heart and mind into subjection to right principles.

Those who through faith are kept by the power of God learn good and precious things. They experience the peace of Christ which passeth understanding. In resisting temptation you refuse to be confederate with Satan, and place yourselves under the banner of Jesus Christ. In the sight of heavenly intelligences you develop yourself as a conqueror. It is made manifest that you are a son of God. . . .

You represent Christ in true goodness of character, and understand what these words signify: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. . . . And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace" (John 1:14-16). You receive grace, you develop grace; and as you reveal grace in your words, in your spirit and actions, God pours upon you a larger measure of grace. In proportion as you surrender yourselves to the working of the Holy Spirit you are supplied with heavenly grace. You are molded and fashioned a vessel unto honor, and become a channel through which God makes manifest His grace to the world.